Things We Carry on Our Bodies

Y’all know I love living as plastic-free as I can. Not everybody’s there yet, and that’s just fine. But I do think most of us are starting to notice — plastic has snuck its way into just about everything, and hair care is no exception.
Here’s something that surprised even me: phthalates like DEP show up in shampoos, conditioners, and especially hairsprays, often tucked quietly under the word “fragrance” on the label. They’re used as solvents or to keep films flexible, and some studies have linked personal care products to higher phthalate levels in children. They’re also suspected hormone disruptors — so it’s worth knowing they’re there.
And it doesn’t stop at the bottle. Plastic hair accessories sit right against your skin all day long. It can also hide in fabric coatings, on the finish of metal clippies and hairpins, and even in the elastic of your favorite scrunchie. I’m not meaning to sound preachy, nor cause great panic — it’s just one of those things that, once you see it, you can’t quite unsee it.

The Quiet Things We Carry

We carry so much on our bodies without thinking. The underwear we wear every day, the bra straps that hold us up, the hair forks that keep our curls in place — these are the quiet things that touch us all day long.
Anything that sits against your skin for hours is worth being picky about, especially near your head. Hair accessories made from wood, leather, or wool, avoid that constant low-level plastic contact. Same logic applies to underwear and bras — natural fibers there make a bigger difference than people admit.
And it’s not just the things we wear. Thermal receipts are very detrimental to health too. You may not think much about it because it’s “just” touching the paper. But it has ramifications. Thermal receipts are coated with BPA or its cousin BPS to make the print show up when heated. Both are endocrine disruptors that mess with hormones and can absorb right through your skin — especially if your hands are moist or you’ve used lotion or sanitizer. Cashiers get hit the hardest. A lot of “BPA-free” ones just swapped to BPS, which isn’t much better. Best move is to skip the paper receipt when you can and go for email, text, or take a photo instead.
These silent things that matter — the everyday items we carry, wear, and touch without thinking. But when we start to notice them, we can make different choices.

The Heart of the Ever Collection

Which brings me to the Ever Collection — and I am so excited to share it with you. These are one-of-a-kind pieces, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. Each one grew exactly the way nature intended. I did a bit of cutting, sanding, and shaping to help it along.
When you hold one of these pieces, you can feel the difference. Wood has a warmth that plastic never could — it’s alive in your hands, showing its grain and figure and history. When held in your hand, or used in your hair, each piece settles against your skin without the chemical haunt of synthetic materials.
Every piece in the Ever Collection tells its own story. Some have deep curls in their grain, like the whorls of water in a river. Others show spalting, those beautiful dark lines that happen when wood meets fungi, creating patterns like maps of some forgotten forest. Some have chatoyance — that shimmering quality that makes the wood look like it’s catching moonlight from within.
The feel of these pieces is different, too. They’re not slick or manufactured. They have texture that comes from nature’s hand — the gentle bumps of a knot, the smooth sweep of a grain, the organic asymmetries that make each piece unique. When you hold one, you’re holding something that has a story and purpose.

The Hope They Carry

I hope you find something that brings you a little peace, and I want you to know — the heart of every single piece was made with hope. Hope for a good future for our grandchildren.
When I’m working on these hair forks, I think about what the world will be like when our children are raising their own children. I think about the plastic we’re leaving behind and the natural materials we’re choosing instead. I think about the forests that will still be standing and the animals that will still have places to live.
This is why I believe so deeply in natural materials. There’s just something alive in them — you can feel it when you hold a piece. They’re beautiful, they’re kind to the people who make them (no heavy sealants, polyurethane, varnish, or epoxy over here!), and they’re good for you and this sweet earth we’re all sharing.
Each piece in the Ever Collection is a small declaration — that we’re choosing differently, that we’re thinking about the quiet things we carry, that we’re building something that will last and something that won’t hurt the world.
Take a Peek
Take a peek at the Ever Collection right here, and see if any of them speak to you.
From my cottage to yours,
Abigail